10 ways to use summer fruits and vegetables

What is the number one way to help boost weight loss, prevent heart disease, prevent cancer, and maintain a healthy blood pressure? Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Experts say that it is the single best way to ensure good health.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are everywhere during the summer months - in your garden, at the farmers' market, on supermarket shelves, and on restaurant menus. Here are 10 ways to enjoy:

1. Make a frosty fruit salad by freezing fresh berries, seedless grapes, melon balls, and slices of peaches and nectarines in a sealable plastic bag. Allow to thaw slightly before eating.
2. Whip up a fruit smoothie from two or three of your favorite fruits, plus low-fat or fat-free yogurt. For a slushy consistency, freeze the fruit ahead of time.
3. Enjoy cold vegetable soups like gazpacho or cucumber yogurt soup.
4. Find a recipe for European fruit or cherry soup. Serve ice cold with a dollop of reduced fat sour cream or plain yogurt.
5. Enjoy a large salad every day. Stock up on with salad fixings like baby lettuce, garden-fresh tomatoes, fresh peas, chopped nuts, and your favorite Ken's® dressings.
6. Steam an assortment of vegetables - broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, pea pods, pepper strips - until crisp-tender. Refrigerate in a sealable plastic container and enjoy for snack.
7. Make your own salsa with chopped tomato, onion, scallion, and cilantro. Add diced peaches or mango for a refreshing alternative to plain salsa.
8. Grilled vegetables in a vegetable basket or grill wok. Brush lightly with olive oil to aid browning and help prevent sticking.
9. Make homemade lemonade. Toss in a handful of fresh berries - they're rich in healthful phytochemicals -- to liven it up.
10. Get the ripest, juiciest tomato you can find. Slice, sprinkle with a bit of salt, drizzle with olive oil or Ken's dressing, and enjoy.